Fortnight in Westminster, 4th – 15th September 2017

Welcome to our round up of activity in Parliament. The House of Commons and the House of Lords sat over the past two weeks, before rising again for the Party Conference recess.

During that time bishops spoke in debates on prison overcrowding, digital understanding, Brexit, and gambling. They supported bills on raising the age of criminal responsibility and on supporting the victims of modern slavery.

Bishops also asked questions about housing, children’s hospices, the Rohingya people in Myanmar, the Banking Standards Commission and school admissions. The Second Church Estates Commissioner answered questions from MPs on cathedral entry charges and church lavatories, and spoke about Coventry’s bid to be 2021 City of Culture.

Newspapers carried letters and articles from Lords Spiritual on economic, welfare and gambling policies, and the Speaker’s Chaplain was interviewed on BBC2 Newsnight about religion in politics.

Parliament is now in recess again and will return on 9th October.

The Bishops of Southwark, Gloucester and Birmingham were on duty throughout the fortnight, reading prayers at the start of each sitting day.

Tuesday 5th September

The Bishop of Southwark asked about increasing funding for Children’s Hospices.